CQB
by Ayane458
Summary: Close quarters battle is Carolina's greatest strength. And it's the best place for her to take Texas on.


**Written for the 'Carolina vs. Tex' Challenge TourGuide62 entered on . As I'm sure you can all tell, this was just an excuse for me to practise writing my fight scenes. Consider that a warning –there's not a whole lot of plot, just a basic fight scene. Written to DMC3's 'Devils Never Cry'**

Everyone had shown up –the sense of anticipation was not _almost_ tangible, but _tangible_, a living, breathing thing. The boarders (with two conspicuous absentees) were on their own viewing deck, and they were the most tense, almost as if it were them on the training room floor.

Because today, Queen Bee and New Recruit squared off.

And Carolina was _not_ happy about being bumped down.

Neither woman was in armour, instead wearing almost-identical shorts, tank tops and gloves. The 'almost' came from the differing colours –Carolina in her pale blue, Tex in her pitch black. Both had their red hair pulled back in a ponytail. Neither moved a muscle in the stare-down before the throw-down.

"Round start," FILSS announced, her voice slightly less cheery than usual. Perhaps even she recognised the tension threatening to snap the _Mother of Invention_ in half. "Three… two… one."

Neither woman hesitated –both rushed their opponent.

Carolina got in the first hit, a punch to Tex's face. Her savage grin was wiped off when Tex ducked under her follow-up and punched her in the stomach.

Carolina staggered back and recovered, flipping away from Tex's oncoming assault. Tex turned, about to follow, when a low kick sent her right leg down. Tex went with it, rolling away from a high kick that strived to take her head from her shoulders. Tex came up, sending a kick to Carolina's back before she could turn.

The kick should've landed Carolina on her face; instead, she used the extra momentum to dive forward and cartwheel away from her opponent. With the other precious metres away, both women took the opportunity to breathe. They examined each other for any damage done, and both were disappointed with what they found.

On some silent cue, Carolina and Tex charged again. They met in the middle, raised their fists, and punched, each aiming for the other's face.

Both struck perfectly, with as much strength as they had.

Tex flew back, landing on the floor and skidding to a stop.

Carolina flew back, hitting the wall hard and ricocheting back off, landing on her face.

Carolina flipped to her feet in time to deflect Tex's strike. Tex stepped to the left, avoiding Carolina's kick. But she couldn't avoid the elbow to her chest, and Tex faltered under the blow.

Tex pushed aside Carolina's next blow, leaving the woman open to a fist right into her solar plexus.

Carolina landed on her back, but rolled away before Tex's stamp-kick could land and crush her. She got to her feet first, getting in close to deliver a low kick while Tex was still recovering from the damage missing her attack had done. While Tex stumbled away, Carolina kicked out again and got a glancing blow to her hip.

Tex regained her balance in time to lose it to another sweeping low kick from Carolina, and her feet flew out from under her.

Tex slammed her palm to the ground before the rest of her could follow, and pivoted, swinging her legs around in two kicks. One struck Carolina's knee, the other her waist.

Her pivot ended on her knees, and Tex steadied herself to leap at Carolina before the other woman could recover.

Tex punched and connected with Carolina's shoulder, her angle unfortunate. Carolina turned to face Tex, deflecting a punch to her head and aiming one of her own at Tex's chest.

It was a solid hit, and Tex stumbled back. Carolina spun, adding momentum to her strength as she kicked out at Tex's stomach.

Tex flew back, but managed to land in a crouch a few metres away. Wasting no time, she rushed Carolina and hit, landing blows to head, chest, stomach, legs, not giving her opponent a second to retaliate –ending with a powerful kick to Carolina's chest, sending the woman to get reacquainted with the wall.

Carolina hit the wall hard, bounced off and landed in a heap. Pain bloomed throughout her body, both from her meeting with the wall and from Tex's multiple hits.

Tex stayed away, letting Carolina decide whether the fight would continue.

Carolina staggered to her feet, nearly going straight back down. Her stability returned, and she shook of some of the pain. Carolina changed her stance, standing three quarters on to her opponent with her fists in front of her. She shifted slightly, opening her palms and bowing her head –inviting Tex to attack.

Tex accepted the invitation graciously, running at Carolina while her opponent remained still. She punched, but Carolina caught her wrist and pulled her forward, meaning to flip her to the ground. Tex managed to pull back before that could happen, but Carolina still her wrist.

Carolina twisted, putting Tex's back to her and pulling Tex's arm straight, palm facing the ceiling. Carolina brought her palm up, hitting Tex's elbow and buckling it in the wrong direction. Tex grunted in pain, and Carolina pushed her away.

Stumbling against the wall, Tex kept a wary eye on her glaring opponent. Her arm throbbed with pain.

Recovering as much as she could, Tex tried for a repeat of the onslaught that had sent Carolina into the wall, knowing that if she achieved that, she'd won the fight.

Carolina deflected most of the attacks, and prevented Tex from gaining much momentum. Tex snarled in frustration, but noted that Carolina was at least being forced back. She punched, and once again Carolina caught her wrist. This time, Tex couldn't pull back fast enough.

Carolina twisted her hip towards Tex, flipping the other woman to the floor. Carolina ended up in a runner's starting position, her hands securing Tex's. Raising her head slightly, Tex glared at her opponent in time to meet Carolina's knee, which had rushed forward to turn her runner's start into a normal crouch. Carolina removed her hands quickly, letting the hit roll Tex into a wall.

She rose out of her crouch, returning to her stance.

Tex got up, leaning heavily against the wall and clutching her head. She raised her arms to block too late –Carolina's punch flattened her against the wall, making her chest feel like it was going to cave in.

Tex slipped away from Carolina's follow-up, stopping to kick Carolina face-first into the wall. But Carolina ducked under Tex's kick to her head, sweeping the woman's foot from under her.

Tex flipped and landed in a crouch, and both appraised their opponent. There was no new-found respect; just anger. They got to their feet, and it was Carolina's turn to rush Tex.

Carolina began with a very basic kick, and Tex dodged easily. But the dodge placed Carolina at the perfect angle to spin and strike to the stomach. Tex staggered away, involuntarily putting her back to Carolina.

Carolina followed, planted her feet and, as Tex straightened, double-punched right into Tex's spine.

Tex cried out, and suddenly the wall came rushing very fast to meet her. She hit, pain lighting up her body like a Christmas tree, and fell. When she tried to get up, her legs wouldn't obey.

Distantly, she could see the smirk on Carolina's face, and heard FILSS's voice.

"Round over. Winner: Carolina."

**A/N: My only request is that you do not complain about the winner –I prefer the underdog winging, and anyone who fights Tex is the underdog.**


End file.
